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Software · head to head

Crowdcast vs Riverside

Crowdcast logo

Crowdcast

Software

Live video Q&As, interviews, and webinars

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Riverside logo

Riverside

Software

Studio-quality remote podcast and video recording

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Riverside has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Crowdcast exceeding the plan's attendee limit costs $0.15 per extra live attendee, so an unexpectedly popular session bills on the spot; Riverside the free plan gives a single one off 2 hours of recording rather than a monthly allowance
  • They diverge on capability: Crowdcast covers Q&A sessions, Riverside covers Local recording.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crowdcast and Riverside actually diverge.

Attributes where Crowdcast and Riverside differ
AttributeCrowdcastRiverside
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Desktop
Founded20152020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Crowdcast

  • Q&A sessions
  • Polls
  • Multi-speaker
  • Replay library
  • Zapier
  • ConvertKit
  • Mailchimp
  • Stripe

Only in Riverside

  • Local recording
  • 4K video capture
  • Separate audio tracks
  • AI transcription
  • Magic Editor
  • Zoom
  • YouTube
  • Facebook Live

Both cover

  • Live streaming
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Crowdcast

  • Hosting live webinars and interactive Q and A sessionsnot Riverside
  • Running paid online events with registrationnot Riverside

Riverside

  • Recording remote podcast and video interviews in local quality per participantnot Crowdcast
  • Producing multi track recordings for editing after the sessionnot Crowdcast

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Crowdcast

  • Exceeding the plan's attendee limit costs $0.15 per extra live attendee, so an unexpectedly popular session bills on the spot
  • Session length is capped by plan, at 2 hours on Lite, 4 on Pro and 6 on Business
  • Team seats are tightly limited, at 1 on Lite and 2 on Pro, with additional seats at $29 each
  • Studio storage is capped at 1 GB on Lite and 5 GB on Pro
  • The 14 day trial allows 10 live attendees and 60 minute sessions, which is short of any real event

Riverside

  • The free plan gives a single one off 2 hours of recording rather than a monthly allowance
  • Free exports are capped at 720p, so remote recording quality is the paid feature
  • Separate track recording is metered monthly, at 5 hours on Pro and 15 on Grow
  • Downloadable separate tracks are metered on a different allowance again, at 15, 20 and 25 hours
  • Removing all time limits requires the Webinar plan at $79 a month or a custom Business contract

Pricing, plan by plan

Crowdcast

$49/month
  • Lite$49/month
    • 50 live attendees
    • 2-hour sessions
    • Basic features
  • Pro$89/month
    • 100 attendees
    • 4-hour sessions
    • Custom branding
  • Business$195/month
    • 500 attendees
    • Multi-day events
    • Priority support

Riverside

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 hours recording
    • 720p video
    • Separate audio tracks
  • Standard$15/month
    • 5 hours recording
    • 4K video
    • AI transcription
  • Pro$24/month
    • 15 hours recording
    • All features
    • Live streaming
  • Business$39/month
    • Unlimited recording
    • Team collaboration
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Crowdcast if

  • You need q&a sessions.
  • You also want polls.
Crowdcast review

Choose Riverside if

  • You need local recording.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want 4k video capture.
Riverside review

Questions people ask

Is Crowdcast or Riverside better?
Neither clearly leads. Crowdcast starts at $49/month and Riverside at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crowdcast or Riverside?
Riverside has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Crowdcast and Free for Riverside.
Does Crowdcast or Riverside run on more platforms?
Crowdcast runs on Web. Riverside runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Riverside for free?
Yes. Riverside has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Crowdcast starts at $49/month.
What is Crowdcast best used for?
Crowdcast is most often used for hosting live webinars and interactive q and a sessions, running paid online events with registration. Of those, hosting live webinars and interactive q and a sessions and running paid online events with registration are not what Riverside is typically brought in for.
What can Crowdcast do that Riverside cannot?
Crowdcast covers Q&A sessions, Polls, Multi-speaker, Replay library. Riverside covers Local recording, 4K video capture, Separate audio tracks, AI transcription. Both handle Live streaming, Web support.
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Related pages

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